Universal Pictures has secured the rights to Britney Spears’ bestselling memoir, “The Woman in Me,” with plans to develop it into a biographical film, as confirmed by CNN with the studio.
The film will be directed by Jon M. Chu, known for “Crazy Rich Asians” and the upcoming “Wicked” movie. Acclaimed producer Marc Platt, recognized for his work on “Wicked” and “La La Land,” is set to produce.
Spears hinted at the project on social media platform X, posting, “Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He’s always made my favorite movies … stay tuned!”
Universal won the rights to the memoir following a highly competitive bidding war involving several major studios and streaming platforms, a source close to the project disclosed.
While the studio has yet to confirm Spears’ specific involvement in the film, a source close to the pop star indicated that she will indeed play a role in its development.
Published in October 2023, “The Woman in Me” offers an intimate look at Spears’ life, chronicling her journey from her early days in Mississippi to her rise to fame, motherhood, faith, and quest for freedom. This memoir marked her first comprehensive account of her life story.
The book was released nearly two years after Spears was freed from a 13-year conservatorship in 2021. In April 2023, she reached a settlement with her estranged father, who had been her conservator, formally ending the conservatorship.
In recent years, Spears has been vocal about her tumultuous childhood and strained family relationships, themes expected to be explored in the biopic along with her ascent to stardom, challenges with intense public scrutiny, and the conservatorship saga.
Universal described Spears’ memoir as “written with remarkable candor and humor,” highlighting the power of music and love, and emphasizing the importance of women telling their own stories.
The audiobook version of “The Woman in Me,” narrated by actress Michelle Williams, broke records as the fastest-selling audiobook in Simon & Schuster’s history and was the most listened to audiobook on Spotify in 2023.
Casting details for the biopic are yet to be announced as the project is still in its development stage.
This biopic joins Universal’s roster of music-based projects, following the success of films like “Straight Outta Compton” and “8 Mile,” and upcoming biopics on Snoop Dogg and Prince.
Britney Spears’ last major studio film was “Crossroads” in 2002, a coming-of-age movie co-executive produced by Spears and written by Shonda Rhimes, which also starred Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning.
